Creeslough priest, Fr John Joe Duffy, has hit out at the "outrageous, deeply shocking, unacceptable and totally disturbing behaviour" of members of the Burke family in Donegal last Friday.
Fr Duffy was speaking after Enoch Burke’s mother and brother confronted Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton, while visiting primary and secondary schools in north Donegal.
Martina and Isaac Burke arrived at the gates of Scoil Mhuire, Milford, to protest against the Disciplinary Appeal Panel hearing involving Enoch Burke.
Fr Duffy has been at the heart of the Creeslough community since the service station explosion which claimed the lives of ten people in October, 2022.
He said the Burkes had engaged in and displayed a total disregard for the wellbeing and mental health of the children from Junior Infants to Leaving Cert level at two schools.
“Children in one of these schools have been previously traumatised by events of a tragic incident in one of the communities that pupils schools come from,” he posted on social media.
“Today's outrageous, deeply shocking, unacceptable and totally disturbing behaviour may leave pupils traumatised and insecure in what ought to be a safe and protective environment. If I were staff, school management or one of the visitors, I would feel upset and threatened.”
Fr Duffy went on to say it is clear that those involved in this ‘scandalous and outrageous behaviour’ had no care for the impact it may have upon all concerned, but most importantly how this may impact upon the children.
“Children have a right to feel cared for, to feel protected, to feel safe and never to be disturbed, feel threatened or be traumatised within their school grounds or from the gates outside,” he continued.
“What was clearly displayed today was like a through back to the worst times of the darkest days in the troubles in Northern Ireland where a lack of respect for children in and going to/coming from their places of education still haunts us to this day.
“What members of the Burke family did in Milford today cannot go unchallenged and the full rigours of the State must be utilised to ensure that our schools are physically, psychologically and emotionally safe places for our children and for staff.
“Today's behaviour of bullying, threatening, disruptive behaviour, nastiness is typical of everything that is not Christian or nurturing and has no place in a school yard or at the gates of any school. Today’s demonstration is no way to highlight any issue in a civilized society.”